Place Your Bets on Lennie -- He's a Cat Who Beats Long Odds

Meet Lennie and rub his luxuriously floofy belly and then go buy a lottery ticket cause this kitty is obviously lucky! In his short life, he's been told not once, not twice, but three times that he wouldn't live, and he's continued to be alive. So take that, death!

Lennie was born while his rescued mama was en route to her new home, starting his life with a high level of excitement and drama. At only 10 days old, Lennie and his brother developed serious upper respiratory infections that progressed into pneumonia. His brother did not make it through. Lennie, however, did, winning his first battle against a very eager Death.

Lennie as a kitten.

Lennie as a young cat -- still beating the odds!

Then, at five weeks old, Lennie was diagnosed with pneumonia again, and the vets did not give him an optimistic prognosis. Lennie proved them wrong. The 22-toed cat seemed to be in the clear, until a trip to the vet at three months old uncovered some severe abnormalities.

Thumbs!

Look at that face!

Lennie has severe sternal excavatum, with such a severely deformed rib cage that vets were surprised the kitty had lived as long as he had. The condition compromised Lennie's lungs, heart, liver, and stomach, and his family was told the young cat would not live to see his first birthday.

Lennie sticks his tongue out at Death!

That's when Lennie's luck struck again. While he struggles with constant congestion and can't keep up with other cats his age, he's still around and beating all the odds. Which is great because Lennie is totally adorable, and we're happy to continue to have his cuteness in the world.

About Liz Acosta: Catster's former Cuteness Correspondent, Liz still manages the site's daily "Awws," only now she also wrangles Catster's social media. That's why she wants you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and -- her personal favorite -- Instagram. See ya there!